From February 10th-11th, 2024, the faithful of the American state of New York received the visit of their Hierarch, His Eminence Nicolae, Metropolitan of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas and Archbishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the United States of America. Year after year, at the invitation of Father Daniel Ene, the Hierarch comes among his shepherds whom he lovingly and devotedly visits, serving and sharing the gifts of the Good Lord through word and deed in liturgical communion.
On Saturday morning, 10 February, His Eminence celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Greek church of St. Sophia in Syracuse, a city in central New York State, which has been hosting the Romanians in the area for years. The joy of experiencing the liturgy with Father David and Fathers Philip and Peter from the Bulgarian Church of the Transfiguration, in the presence of the Romanian faithful, was full, being amplified by the participation of Mrs. Mihaela Simona Florea, General Consul of Romania in New York.
In his homily, the Hierarch, in the context of the Year of the Shepherding and Care of the Sick and the commemorative year of all the Unmercenary Healing Saints, stressed the importance of fulfilling through deeds the Christic exhortation to turn our care and attention to those suffering, thus continuing the healing work of the saints who wonderfully received and cultivated this gift from God. Not forgotten were the Three Hierarchs, the patron saints of the Romanian parish in Syracuse. His Eminence spoke about their lives and their struggle to defend the right Christian teaching, Orthodoxy.
In the evening, marking the beginning of the next liturgical day, His Eminence Archbishop and Metropolitan Nicolae celebrated Vespers in honor of the Holy Empress Theodora of Byzantium at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Rochester, where a small part of her holy relics received some years ago from the island of Corfu is kept.
The great celebration continued Sunday, February 11th, when His Eminence celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with Father Daniel Ene and Father Mircea Airinei, along with the parishioners and General Consul Simona Florea. On this occasion, Father Liviu Ardelean and Mr. Constantin Claudiu Bărdăzău were awarded certificates of merit for their special support and involvement in the repair of the roof of the wooden church in Caracas. The homily highlighted the model of the life of the Holy Empress Theodora of Byzantium who multiplied the talents received as a gift from God.
The Romanian communities of Syracuse and Rochester gave His Eminence, as a sign of gratitude and appreciation of his permanent paternal care, two icons representing the Mother of God the Healer with the Holy Unmercenary Saints. General Consul Mihaela Simona Florea received an icon of the Holy Archangels, her patron saints, as a gift from Father Daniel Ene. The agape meal that followed completed the joy and desire of the parishioners to continue the communion in the community.
Together, His Eminence, priests, and faithful experienced uplifting moments, marked by the intensity of the inner spiritual life and the height of the word that will certainly bear fruit in the near future, facts that reflect the concretization of the Savior's exhortations and bringing into actuality the work of the holy healers, thus continuing their ministry.
Fr. Dean Daniel Ene
